The following was submitted by the Middlesex District Attorney's office:

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Stoneham Chief of Police James T. McIntyre have announced that Medford Police Officer, Miguel Lopez, 55, of Stoneham, pled guilty Monday to two counts of witness intimidation in connection with taking evidence and lying to investigators during the investigation into the 2013 murder of Joseph Puopolo.

As a result of that guilty plea, he was ordered to immediately retire and not to seek any law enforcement-related employment again.

Judge Peter Krupp additionally ordered that Lopez be placed on probation for three years, with home confinement from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for the first six months. Krupp also ordered the defendant to pay a $5,000 fine.

At approximately 12:19 a.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2013, Stoneham Police responded to a residence at Micah’s Pond Way in Stoneham for a report of gunshots. When officers arrived they found two males suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Joseph Puopolo, 27, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. The second victim, a 28-year-old male, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, which he survived.

An investigation was immediately launched by Stoneham Police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

As part of that investigation, State Police learned that Lopez, who was residing at the Micah’s Pond Way residence, where the homicide occurred, had taken a piece of evidence from the crime scene. Later Lopez lied to police about taking that piece of evidence and where he hid it. Lopez was indicted Aug. 15, 2013 by a Middlesex Superior Court Grand Jury.

Despite the defendant’s actions two men were convicted in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Joseph Puopolo. In November 2015, Eugene Tate, 21, of Malden, was convicted of the first-degree murder, armed robbery, armed assault in a dwelling and illegal possession of a firearm. Additionally, in February 2016, a second defendant, Jessie Williams, 26, of Medford, was convicted of first-degree murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, armed robbery, armed assault in a dwelling, and possession of a firearm without a license.

The prosecutors assigned to the case were Assistant District Attorneys Tom O’Reilly, Suzanne Kontz and Doug Nagengast. The Victim Witness Advocate was Kristin D’Agnelli.